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08.07.2016 Editorial

Yes, NPP must be vigilant at the polling stations

By Ghanaian Chronicle
Yes, NPP must be vigilant at the polling stations
08.07.2016 LISTEN

 
Some of the major issues that emerged at the end of the Election Petition case at the Supreme Court were the various infractions that occurred at the polling stations.  Votes were credited to candidates who did not deserve it, whilst, in some of the cases too, actual votes obtained by some of the candidates were inflated.

What even exacerbated the situation was the fact that some of the polling agents of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), whose party had gone to court over the issue, signed some of the fraudulent results to authenticate them.

With presidential and parliamentary elections just around the corner, the NPP says it is no more interested in going to court over election brouhaha, and that the party is rather going to police the results at the various polling stations.

In a story we have carried at our front page today, a former Deputy Minister of Interior,  Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey (Rtd), insists the party (NPP) will not resort to legal action in the event of vote rigging in the November 7 elections.

The former Member of Parliament has, therefore, cautioned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to brace itself for a ruthless NPP in the impending elections, because the NPP will not countenance arm-twisting by any group or individuals.

According to the retired army officer, when the NPP resorted to the Supreme Court in 2013 to seek redress for the infractions that characterised the 2012 elections, the party came to the realisation that elections are won at the polling stations, hence the decision to, this time round, make sure this year's elections are free, fair and transparent, for its outcome to be accepted by the party.

The Chronicle is happy that NPP has decided to police the votes at the polling stations. As Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan noted some time ago, every election is won at the polling station. A party that relaxes when it comes to polling station monitoring, will laugh at the wrong side of its mouth.

In the 2012 election for example, the vigilance of Ms. Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, destroyed plans by some electoral officials to rig the election in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

If Adwoa Safo had relaxed, she would have won the parliamentary election alright, but her presidential candidate, Nana Akuffo-Addo, would have lost terribly in the constituency.

It is the contention of The Chronicle that if all the parliamentary candidates had exhibited the same zeal, the party would not have gone to the Supreme Court.

Effah Dartey has, therefore, hit the nail right on the head that the party would be vigilant this time round to stop any attempt to rig the election at the polling stations.

It is the hope of The Chronicle that this would not be mere rhetoric, but rather the action would be implemented to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in November.

All the parliamentary candidates of the party would also be advised to police, not only the parliamentary results, but also that of the presidential as well.

This is the only way the party can claim victory after the polls.  As Effah Dartey noted in the story we had earlier referred to, no one tells supporters the result of Hearts-Kotoko at the end of the match.

If parliamentary candidates and polling station agents work hard, genuine results would be declared at the polling stations, instead of sitting down for the figures to be manipulated.

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